Once Upon a Dream
by chocolatequeen
Summary: A Sleeping Beauty allegory inspired by a gorgeous piece of fanart, mixed together with a Doomsday fixit. Because I can.
1. Chapter 1

This is a birthday gift for perfectlyrose. It's a Sleeping Beauty allegory (with a twist) based on the-untempered-prism's gorgeous fanart. And since it's based on Sleeping Beauty, the title and chapter titles all come from the song "Once Upon a Dream."

Chapter 1: I Walked With You Once

Rose untied her apron with a grateful sigh. Working at Mr. Henrik's pottery shop paid the rent on the tiny cottage she shared with her mum, but she was always glad to see the day come to an end.

A clatter at the front of the shop startled her into dropping the apron onto the floor instead of hanging it up on the hook. She crept forward. "Mickey? Is that you?" she called out, hoping her oldest friend had snuck in to scare her. "You know Mr. Henrik doesn't like you coming into the shop after we've closed." There was no answer, and she took another step toward the door between the stock room and the shop.

A cool hand grabbed her wrist and pulled, and a second hand covered her mouth before she could scream. Rose planted a foot and wheeled around before her attacker could stop her, but her accusation died in her throat when she saw the livery of the royal family.

"Run!" hissed the royal guard, and Rose dashed out the back door.

She stopped when she reached the large oak tree that shaded the shop. The mysterious person she'd heard in the shop obviously wasn't Mickey, or anyone else she wanted to tangle with. The presence of a royal guard told her that much. Sounds of a fight reached her, and she winced when she heard the unmistakable sound of broken pottery. _Hopefully Mr. Henrik won't blame me for the damage._

An ominous rumble shook the ground, and then the tall man who'd sent her away came barrelling out of the door. "Run for your life!" he shouted, grabbing her hand as he passed her.

They were halfway to the village green when a large explosion rocked the earth. Rose spun back and gasped when she saw a pile of smouldering rubble where Henrik's shop once stood.

"That's… What…" She looked back and forth between the ruins and the tall guardsman.

The look in his brown eyes made her shudder. "Seditionist," he explained shortly. "He planned to blow the castle up. I chased him to where he was hiding, but when I tried to capture him, his gunpowder flew into the open kiln."

"What'll Mr. Henrik do?" Rose asked.

He blinked. "Who?"

"The man whose shop you just blew up!"

"Oi! If you're pointing fingers, point to the man who tried to overturn the government." He looked at the spot where the shop had been and ran his hand through his thick, brown hair. "Still, the royal family will pay for the shop to be rebuilt, and for any loss of merchandise."

Rose snorted. "As long as you're being so generous with someone else's money, maybe you could have the royal family pay the rent on my cottage. I've got no way to earn a living until Mr. Henrik reopens his shop."

The stranger grinned, and Rose tried to ignore the swooping feeling in her belly. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Rose. Rose Tyler."

"Nice to meet you, Rose. I'm the Doctor." He winked at her. "Otherwise known as Prince John."

DWDWDWDW

Rose was still in a daze that night at dinner. She ate her stew without tasting it—which, considering her mum's cooking, was a blessing.

 _I met the prince. The prince saved my life._ It didn't seem any more real after the fiftieth time she'd repeated it to herself.

"Rose? Have you been listening to a word I've said?"

"What?" Rose blinked and looked up from her bowl. "Oh, I'm sorry, Mum. I guess I'm still in shock."

Jackie Tyler huffed. "Well, it's no wonder! Who do these royals think they are, running around, blowing up shops? Don't he have buildings of his own to blow up?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Mum, he didn't do it on purpose. And besides, if that seditionist hadn't planned to blow up Tardis Castle, none of it would have happened."

"Well all the same, I still think you should get compensation. How're we supposed to pay rent now?"

Eager to end this line of questioning, Rose jumped to her feet and collected the dishes. "I'll do the washing up tonight. You just sit and enjoy your tea."

The kitchen was one of three rooms in the cottage, the other two being the sitting/dining room, and the bedroom the Tyler women shared. Rose set the dishes down on the worktop, grabbed the pail, and went outside to get water to wash up.

The whole time, she thought about the cheeky way the prince had winked at her before running away. She really hoped that wink and the twinkle in his eye meant he'd find a way to take care of the rent problem. She heaved a sigh and the bucket, and walked back into the kitchen.

"The last time I looked, heavy sighs weren't protocol for greeting royalty."

Rose squeaked and almost dropped her bucket. "Your Highness! I didn't realise you were here." She narrowed her eyes. "Why are you in my kitchen?"

Prince John pouted. "Your mother threatened to slap me. Nine hundred years of ruling this country, and I don't think any of my ancestors got slapped."

"They probably didn't blow up a peasant family's sole source of income," Rose said sweetly. "How did you know where we lived?"

"You told me your full name." The prince took the bucket from her and set it down on the worktop by the washbasin. "About the shop, Rose. I'd like to make up for that, if I could."

He leaned against the worktop, his hands shoved into the pockets of his brown pinstriped suit. Rose suddenly felt horribly plain and dirty in her worn dress, and she played with a loose thread in the skirt.

"Wasn't your fault," she mumbled.

"Well," he drawled, "no, not directly. But it only happened because someone wanted to kill me, so I do feel just the teensiest bit responsible."

He said this lightly, but the dark look in his eyes made Rose shiver. She had a feeling Prince John would be hunting for the people behind this plot, and she didn't want be there when he found them.

"All right," she said, trying to bring the conversation back to safe ground. "What did you have in mind?"

The prince retrieved a folded piece of parchment from his inside jacket pocket. "First, this is the deed to your cottage. You now own it free and clear." He held up a hand when Rose began to protest. "It's the least I could do."

Rose bit her lip and took the deed from him. "Thank you."

He grinned. "Oh, I'm not finished, Rose Tyler! Because I might be a sheltered toff, as your mum said—she's really quite terrifying, you know—but even I know rent isn't the only thing that takes money. You'll still need food, and wool for clothing, and probably a number of other things I'm unaware of."

Rose shook her head. "Your Highness, I can't accept any more generosity from you," she said. "The cottage is too much already."

"'Course you can't!" he chirped. "Jack told me I should just give you gold, but I told him you wouldn't take it."

"Then I don't understand…"

"I want you to work for me!"

Apprehension replaced the warmth Rose had felt at his high opinion of her. "D'you mean as a maid or something, in the castle?" she asked, willing him to say yes.

He bounced on his toes. "Nope! As my companion!"

Rose crossed the room in three strides and slapped him hard across the face.

The prince held a hand to his reddened cheek. "Ow! What was that for?" he asked, a wounded expression on his face.

She glared at him, her hands on her hips. "I might be common, and poor, but I am not a doxy," she hissed.

"Well of course you aren't! Who said… Oh! Oh no! No, no, no, no!"

Rose watched warily as he shook his head frantically. "I didn't mean that sort of companion," he said, the rest of his face now as red as the place where she's slapped him. "I just meant, you know…" He scuffed his toe against the dirt floor. "Someone to go on adventures with."

"Adventures?" Rose repeated blankly.

He pouted at her. "It gets boring, staying in the Tardis all day," he explained, looking exactly like a little boy who's been told to stay still for the twentieth time. "So sometimes, I take Arthur and go out for an adventure."

"Arthur?"

"My horse." He waved a hand impatiently. "Didn't you wonder why the prince was the one who tracked the seditionist down?"

"And why you were dressed in livery instead of your own clothes?" Rose asked. "Yeah, sort of."

"Well, this is what I do." The prince shrugged, then looked at Rose keenly. "Only it isn't much fun by myself."

Rose bit her lip. "Is it always this dangerous?"

He hesitated, but finally nodded. "Yeah." Then, clearly thinking that might scare her away, he added, "But I'll pay you more than enough to take care of anything you and your mother need."

"I don't know how to ride."

The same grin that had given her butterflies earlier spread across his face. "I'll teach you."

"Why me?" she asked. "I'm just a shop girl."

"A shop girl who kept her head when she was grabbed from behind by a strange man, and who didn't run away when she could have. You, Rose Tyler, are brilliant."

Rose's grin matched his. "All right then, I'll do it, Your Highness."

Prince John wrinkled his nose. "Oh, don't call me that. No one calls me that, unless it's a formal occasion. Call me the Doctor."

DWDWDWDW

Jackie didn't care much for Rose's new job description—"That doesn't sound safe, running around with Himself. What if next time, it's you that gets blown up?" But, since she couldn't argue that they needed the money, the next morning, she grudgingly let Rose walk to the castle.

The Doctor was true to his word and spent the next month teaching Rose to ride. Only when she could mount by herself and handle a four-foot jump did he take her on their first adventure.

And oh, the adventures they had: saving a hospital from the corrupt nuns in charge, killing a werewolf who was terrorising a village, saving a young girl from creatures wearing garishly painted masks, and so much more. Though they had their horses, there was still an awful lot of running, and Rose loved the exhilaration she felt each time he took her hand.

She loved the quiet moments too, the days when all they did was have a picnic and the greatest danger was being stung by a bee. Those were the times when the Doctor opened up and told her a little of his family history, of how he'd lost everyone in the plague, and the pressures of being the future king. Then she would take his hand and rub her thumb over his, trying to offer what comfort she could.

Rose's family never took well to her new life. The first day she came home looking a little worse for the wear (Honestly, it was nothing—they'd been caught in a fire and had to swim across a river to get away), Jackie and Mickey tried to convince her to stay home. Her flat refusal heightened the tension between them, but she ignored it and jumped right back into traveling with the Doctor the very next day.

So, when she saw Mickey waiting for her after a particularly difficult day, she was more than a little surprised. "Want to take a walk?" he offered.

Rose shook her head. "Not tonight. I'm really tired, Mickey."

Yeah, you're always too busy, or too tired," he said bitterly. "You're so wrapped up in the prince, but he's never gonna court you, Rose!"

She took a half step back and stared up at her friend. "It's not like that!" The truth of that stung, but she pressed on. "He's not… he's better than that, Micks."

"Better than what? Better than a simple bloke wanting to fall in love and get married? Better than me?" He jabbed his thumb into his chest. "Why are you wasting your time with him?"

"Because I love that life!" she exclaimed. "I love being out there, making a difference. I love seeing new places and meeting new people."

"Yeah, well I don't think the life is all you love," he said darkly and stalked off.

Mickey was right, of course. Rose was utterly and completely in love with the Doctor. She knew they could never be together, although sometimes she thought he looked at her like… She shook her head. Even if he did, he was a prince and she was a shopgirl.

But things changed on their very next adventure. People in another city were being kidnapped, and Rose was taken during a rescue attempt. Thrown into a cell with everyone else, she assured them that the Doctor would rescue them. They had to wait all through the night and the following day, but she cheered louder than anyone when the dungeon opened, letting light in.

The sunlight was painful after nearly twenty-four hours in darkness, and Rose had to blink several times against the brightness. But then she saw him, and his grin outshone the sun. Rose pushed through the crowd, anxious to feel his hand in hers.

The Doctor surprised her by sweeping her into his arms and twirling her around. Rose could feel his smile where his face was pressed next to hers, and she laughed giddily.

When he set her back down on her feet, there was something in his eyes that she'd never seen before. "C'mon," he whispered, taking her hand. "Let's get out of here before they try to thank us." Hand in hand, they snuck away from the crowd and then ran to their horses, laughing the whole way.

Rose and the Doctor collapsed on the grass by the horses, giggles dying down. "I'm not sure what was so funny," she said as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

"It's relief." The Doctor jumped to his feet and held out a hand. "Up you get."

Rose let him pull her up. "Think so?"

He clutched her hand in his. "I know I was relieved." He lifted his other hand to her face, brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Tenderness shone in his eyes, and she held her breath as his face came closer and closer, letting out a soft exhale when his lips brushed hers.

"Is this okay?" he asked in the barest whisper.

"More than," Rose told him.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her again, more insistently this time. Rose sighed against his lips and sank her right hand into his hair. _As soft as I imagined,_ she thought hazily.

Gradually, the soft kisses slowed and then stopped, leaving Rose and the Doctor staring at each other more intensely than they ever had before.

Rose was surprised by the pain she saw in his eyes. "What's wrong?" she whispered, cupping his jaw in her hand.

He nuzzled into her palm before burying his face against her neck, clutching her tightly. "I was so afraid," he said. "Oh, Rose. If I lose you, too…"

Rose's heart swelled. That was all the declaration she needed. He'd told her once that he'd lost everyone he loved, so this desperate fear said more than a thousand pretty words.

"I know," she told him, stroking his hair. "I love you, too."

DWDWDWDW

The next day, the Doctor surprised Rose by suggesting they stay at the castle. "I thought we could eat lunch with my two closest advisors, and then maybe I could give you a tour."

Rose gently took the hand that was tugging on his left ear and laced her fingers through his. "I'd like that," she told him, even though the idea of meeting members of the royal household made her a bit nervous.

As it turned out, she had nothing to be worried about. When they entered the room, a tall handsome man bowed to Rose and kissed her hand. "Miss Tyler," he said. "Jack Harkness, captain of the King's Guard, at your service. Feel free to call me Captain Jack; all the ladies do."

The Doctor's hand tightened around hers. "Stop it," he ordered.

"I'm just saying hello!" Rose giggled, and Captain Jack waggled his eyebrows at her. "I can see why you've kept her to yourself, Doc. If I'd known your new companion was so gorgeous, I might have come with you."

"Jack, stop."

Lady Sarah Jane, the castle chatelaine, directed them all to seats around the table. Rose let go of the Doctor's hand and took the chair opposite him, watching as the two men continued to bicker.

Sarah Jane patted her on the shoulder. "I can see what you're thinking, and yes, they're always like this." She raised an eyebrow in the direction of the Doctor and Jack. "Are you sure this is what you want, Rose?"

The Doctor broke off his argument with Captain Jack in mid-sentence and looked at Rose with wide eyes. She smiled softly and said, "Yeah, I'm sure."

The room was quiet for a moment, and then Captain Jack smirked at the Doctor. "I think you're getting the better end of the deal here, Doc."

"I know I am."

When the meal was over, Jack turned to the Doctor with a serious expression on his face. "I know you had plans for the afternoon, and I don't blame you—"

"Jack…"

"But the rumours of trouble in the north are getting stronger. Raiders are attacking villages at night, stealing livestock and burning down buildings. I'm afraid you need to be the prince for a while."

The Doctor looked guiltily at Rose, but she shook her head. "I knew you were the prince before I knew you were the Doctor," she reminded him. "I'll just go home and come back in the morning."

"Actually Rose," Sarah Jane said, "the Doctor asked me to plan a ball to introduce you to the court. If the two of you aren't going to be gallivanting off somewhere, I'd appreciate your help."

Their days took a new pattern after that. Rumours of trouble stirring in the northern part of the kingdom forced the prince to stay at the castle and spend most of the day in conference with Jack and his military advisors. Rose would come to the castle in time to eat lunch with the Doctor, Jack, and Sarah Jane, and then spend the afternoon arranging the ball with Sarah Jane.

When Rose's family found out about the ball, even Mickey couldn't deny that the Doctor was, in fact, courting her. Her mum grumbled about princes not having the decency to talk to a girl's parents before a courtship began, but Rose laughed and suggested that maybe he'd been worried she'd slap him.

One afternoon, the Doctor swept into the salon and grabbed Rose's hand. "Sorry Sarah," he said, an unrepentant gleam in his eyes. "You'll have to get by without Rose for the rest of the day."

Rose giggled as she jogged along beside him. "What's gotten into you?" she asked.

He pushed open a side door and led them toward the stables. "It's been too many days since I had you to myself." He rubbed at the back of his neck, and Rose was astonished to see his ears turning red. "That, and Jack might have reminded me of something I should do," he mumbled.

"He… what do you mean?"

"Look!" the Doctor said brightly when they reached the paddock. "Ready and waiting for us."

It didn't escape her notice that he'd evaded her question, but Rose set it aside and mounted her horse. The Doctor led them through the hills that rose behind the castle until they reached a dry canyon.

Rose looked at the rock formations in awe. "S'beautiful, Doctor," she said once they'd both dismounted.

"I come here sometimes when I need to think. It's so easy to lose perspective, to blow things out of proportion. Up here, I remember that no matter what I do, these rocks will still be here tomorrow."

The reddish rocks gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. Rose was used to thinking of herself as small and insignificant, but somehow, surrounded by beauty that would still exist centuries after she was gone, she finally saw a larger purpose to her life.

"Is that why you brought me here? To think?"

His hand tightened around hers. "No. I bought you here to ask you a question." He drew a deep breath. "How long are you going to stay with me?"

Rose looked at him, hardly daring to believe the question was what it sounded like. But the hope in his eyes and the ring in his hand took away all doubt.

She smiled. "Forever," she promised, watching joy displace the insecurity.

The Doctor turned and framed her face with his hands. "Rose Tyler," he whispered, and then he kissed her.

"So what did Jack remind you of?" Rose asked later as they rode back to the castle.

His ears turned red again. "Let's just say he was less than impressed when he discovered I'd asked Sarah Jane to help you plan a betrothal ball without actually asking you to marry me."

Rose's jaw dropped. "A betrothal…" Several details suddenly made more sense. "Do you mean the entire castle has thought we were betrothed for weeks?"

The Doctor looked at her warily and nudged Arthur to sidestep out of reach. "Er… yes?"

She stared at him, then shook her head. "You are impossible sometimes, you know?"

The twinkle was back in his eyes. "But you love impossible."

"Lucky for you."

Jack was waiting for them in the stables. "Jack!" Rose jumped lightly to the ground. "I hear I have you to thank for this," she said, waving her new ring at him.

The Captain laughed. "Glad to be of service, Rosie."

"Oi!" the Doctor complained. "I'm the one who gave it to you, you know."

"Yes, but only because Jack reminded you," she said sweetly. "Without his help, I might have shown up to my wedding still unaware I was betrothed."

He tugged on his ear. "I'm sure I would have told you before then. Probably."

Jack coughed. "I hate to break up the fun, but I need to talk to the Doc."

Rose nodded. "It's almost time for me to go home anyway." She pressed a light kiss to the Doctor's lips. "I'll see you tomorrow."

But when she woke up the next morning, the village was surrounded by an impenetrable hedge of thorns.


	2. Chapter 2

Standing twenty feet tall, the hedge was covered in tiny pink flowers. The scent of wild roses filled the air, and Rose had a sinking suspicion this was meant for her.

She stood on the road to the castle and stared at the thorns for another thirty seconds, then immediately began a check of the perimeter. Her worst fears were realised: there were no exits, no breaches in the hedge. They were completely cut off from the outside world.

When she reached the road again, a group of townspeople had gathered. "Don't touch it," she ordered. "We don't know what kind of curse it might hold."

Jake Simmonds, the blacksmith, looked at her. "You think it's enchanted?"

Rose snorted. "A giant brambly hedge just appears overnight, and you think it isn't?" Jake nodded once in agreement, and Rose looked at the rest of the crowd.

"What are we going to do?" Mr. Henrik asked. "If we can't get out, then food can't get in."

"That's right, and no one can get in to to buy things, or to stay at my inn," Harriet Jones added.

Rose held up her hands, the weight of her ring heavy on her finger. "I'm sure Prince John will find a way to get in touch with us. He's well aware of the impact this will have on our lives." She looked out at the grumbling crowd and saw fear in their eyes. "Please, trust him," she said. "And show that trust by returning to your homes and your lives."

Harriet shook her head. "You're wearing his ring, Rose, but he isn't here right now. What if he can't do anything, and we're trapped here forever?"

She should have known someone would see the ring and understand what it meant. "As the prince's betrothed, I know him better than anyone. And I promise you, he will not leave us stranded here."

Rose looked each of her neighbours in the eye, willing them to believe in the Doctor. One by one, they slowly drifted away from the road back into the village.

She drew a deep breath when she was left alone with only her mother and Mickey. "Do you really think he'll find a way to fix this?" her mum asked.

She toyed with her ring. "He has to," she said firmly.

A bird flew over the thorns and then in swooping circles until it landed on a post a few feet away from Rose. She looked at it blankly for a moment, taking in the grey feathers and the coloured bands around its neck. Then she spotted the small tube tied to its leg.

"Mickey, grab the pigeon gently," she said, waiting until her friend had it in a firm grasp before she stepped forward.

She delicately untied the tube from the bird and removed the thin parchment. "You can let go," she said absently as she started to read.

 _Rose,_

 _By now I'm sure you're aware that your village is completely cut off from the rest of the kingdom. The seditionists delivered an ultimatum to the castle: either I step down, or none of you will ever see the outside world again._

 _I want to, Rose; I was so tempted. I was ready to give into all their demands just to have you here with me, where you belong. But Jack told me… he convinced me that you would want me to put my duty to the kingdom first. If I step down, the whole kingdom would fracture. So, I can save the kingdom, but lose you. I know what you would tell me to do._

 _I'm sure you're wondering if there's a way through the hedge. I've already had experts examine it, and the answers were… Well. It is possible to cut through the wood, but it grows back almost immediately. And that's a problem, because the thorns themselves are laced with a deadly curse. If a single thorn pierces your skin, you will fall into a deep sleep and never wake up. Sadly, Lady Adeola fell victim to the enchantment before we were able to warn people._

 _I've asked if they could find a way to counteract the curse or to destroy the hedge, but I was told it would take years. Unless we can find the seditionists and force their sorcerer to remove the curse, you can't ever see me again._

 _It's not all bad, though. We'll find a way to get supplies over the hedge, and at least you're with your family. You, your mum, and Mickey, just living a life, day after day. Maybe this is better. I could never have given you that._

 _I need to go. There's an emergency meeting of the council in five minutes, and I need to present the image of a king who is prepared for the coming battle._

 _So, if it's my last chance to say it: Rose Tyler, I_

 _Your Doctor_

Rose stared at the large ink blot next to the "I." She could picture him pressing the quill to the parchment, unable to finish that sentence, to write out the words he'd held back for fear the universe would take her from him.

"Well? What did Himself have to say?" her mum asked, pulling Rose out of her daze.

She folded the letter up and tucked it into the pocket of her apron. "The seditionists are holding us hostage," she said briskly. "If the Doctor doesn't step down from the throne, we'll be trapped here forever."

"Forever?" Mickey squeaked. "How are we supposed to live like this? What's your precious prince going to do now, Rose?"

Rose glared at him. "They're working on a way to get supplies over the hedge. Oh, and I was right: the thorns are cursed; if you touch one, you'll fall asleep and never wake up."

"Oh great!" Mickey waved his hands around wildly. "So we're trapped in our little village with no way out and only the promise of a prince that anything will get in. And on top of that, if we even accidentally touch these thorns, we might as well be dead?"

Rose's mind was whirling with possibilities, keeping the grief at bay. She started walking back to her house, leaving Mickey yelling at her back.

The first thing she needed to do was write back to her Doctor. She rummaged around in the small cubby where she kept her personal belongings and retrieved a sheet of parchment, a quill, and ink. Sitting at the rough wooden table, she began to write.

 _Dear Doctor,_

Rose bit her lip. She wanted him to know how much she wished she could be with him, but reading between the lines of the first two paragraphs of his letter, she knew how close he was to crossing that line. And as much as she hated the thought, Jack had been right. His duty to the country had to come first.

 _I can't think what to say. In all our adventures, I never imagined something like this might happen. When I promised you forever,_ _I didn't think I would be forced from your side._

 _But don't think I'm just gonna go back to work at a shop and take up with Mickey, just because of an inconvenient curse. Your magicians might think there's no way through, but they don't have my motivation. I made my choice a long time ago, Doctor, and I'm never gonna leave you._

 _Before you say anything, I promise I'll be careful. After all, it wouldn't do much good to find a way through, only to… well. Please don't ask me to stop. This is what I need to do. If I just sit back and accept this, I'll go mad._

 _Doctor, I love you. I swear I'm gonna get back to you, no matter what anyone else says. Don't give up on me. I've always believed in you; I need you to believe in me._

 _Your Rose_

She read over the letter, then dusted a small amount of sand over it to dry the ink before rolling it up and sliding it into the tube. The pigeon was still waiting for her on the post, and Rose stroked its feathers lightly in thanks before attaching the tube.

It was nearly sunset when the pigeon reappeared. The note it carried was much shorter than the previous one had been.

 _Rose Tyler, if there's one thing I believe in, it's you._

DWDWDWDW

Rose slept poorly that night, the twin concerns of supplies for the village and finding a way back to the Doctor keeping her awake. She'd barely fallen into a fitful slumber when a pounding on the door woke her up.

Rubbing at her bleary eyes, she stumbled out of bed and got dressed. "What's going on?" she mumbled to Mickey when she stepped out of her cottage.

"Something's landed on the village green! An' there's a letter addressed to you."

Rose ran to the village green and smiled when she saw a large hawk perched atop a small basket of fruit. Mr. Henrik handed her the letter.

Her eyebrows rose when she spotted the royal seal. _An official letter then._ She traced the image of the wolf embossed in the blue wax, then broke the seal to read the letter.

Two sheets of parchment were folded together. She read the one addressed directly to her first.

 _Rose,_

 _I have given you a title and rank with the court. It isn't the title I want to give you, not yet, but I need someone on your side of the thorns who can be a royal representative. As my betrothed, you are the logical choice._

 _Yours,_

 _The Doctor_

Rose drew in a deep breath and tucked this letter into her apron along with the one from the day before. After scanning the second letter, she realised it was actually a royal proclamation.

Forcing her trembling fingers to still, she began to read aloud.

"To the residents of the Powell Estate, on this the eighth of July in the year 2007 Orange Delta, from His Royal Highness Prince John:

It is with deep regret that I must inform you that your village is being held hostage by the seditionists intent on destroying our kingdom. Their demands are too steep; I cannot give in.

But, as you can see, we have found a way to provide for you. Birds from the royal falconry will arrive daily with food and other necessary goods. As you find yourselves running out of things, simply send a note back with the birds and we will get them to you as soon as possible.

One other order of business remains. Since your village is now entirely cut off from the rest of the kingdom, I am in need of a representative. To that end, I appoint my betrothed, Dame Rose Tyler of the Powell Estate, as my emissary. Any disputes you would bring to the royal court, any concerns you have, you may take to her. Any judgement she hands down should be seen as coming from myself.

Having already communicated privately with Dame Rose, I know her priority will be finding a way to tear down the thorns. I charge all of you to give her whatever assistance she asks for, for your own good as well as that of the kingdom.

I am certain you will all live up to the hope I am placing in you. I remain,

Your humble monarch,

Prince John"

Rose's voice died down, and she steeled herself for the outcry this would surely bring. She was one of the younger members of the community, and a woman. How could she be worthy of this much responsibility?

The villagers were silent for a long moment, then the herbalist looked at Rose. "I bet I can find something that would kill those thorns."

"Nothing's ever got through my leather apron," offered Jake. "I bet if you wore leather, you could walk through the thorns without getting cut."

"Aye," said the tanner, "I could make you an outfit that would protect your body from head to toe."

"And I'll make you the strongest blade possible to cut through the canes," Jake added.

One by one, the villagers offered to help in whatever ways they could. Rose looked around at these people who had been her neighbours all her life. All of them looked at her with trust and hope in their eyes, and for the first time, she felt the weight of her position.

"Well then," she said, the first true smile creeping over her face since she saw the hedge. "What are we standing around here for?"

DWDWDWDW

Days blended into weeks and then months as the citizens of the Powell Estate worked together to help Rose break through the hedge. One by one, the pieces of the plan came together, and eventually, Rose had a sharp blade laced with a potion that slowed the regrowth of the bramble and a tough leather outfit that would cover her from head to toe.

She called a meeting in the green and gave recognition to the blacksmith, the herbalist, the tanner, and the seamstresses who had each done their part. "Tomorrow I go through the hedge alone, but it wouldn't be possible without all of you. You've more than lived up to the trust the prince placed in you."

That night, Rose, Jackie, and Mickey had supper together at the Tyler cottage, and Jackie tried once more to convince Rose to stay. "I don't see why it has to be you who goes," she said while they enjoyed a shepherd's pie. "If he loves you that much, then why would he want to risk you dying?"

"Maybe I love him enough that I want to get back to him," Rose shot back. "Or maybe as the Crown Prince's future wife, I feel it's my duty to be the one to go."

"Isn't it everyone else's duty to serve you?" Jackie asked.

Rose dropped her fork back into her bowl. "I'm gonna be the queen one day, Mum, and a queen doesn't just give up. She doesn't just let things happen. A queen makes a stand, she says no. She has the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away."

There was a beat of silence, then Jackie said, "Well I think—"

"I can't!" Rose exclaimed. She pushed back from the table and ran out of the cottage.

Stars shone brightly in the clear night sky, and Rose stared up at them, trying to regain control over her temper. _Why can't she see that I have to do this? An' not just for me, but for all of us?_

She heard a twig crack and said, "I'm over here, Mickey."

"You know she's just worried about you."

"I know."

"And you really can't just… stay here? You could have a proper life…"

"I'm gonna stop you before you say something we both regret later, Mickey. This isn't my life anymore. I'm sorry."

"I think I already knew that," Mickey said after a long pause.

"This isn't just for me, you know," Rose told him. "If we can find a way to get me safely to the castle, then I can tell the Doctor's advisors what we did and they should be able to find a way to pull the hedge down entirely."

She sighed. "It's even possible… You know I'm really the one being held hostage. The seditionists took the whole village just to get me. So maybe if I get out, they'll realise they've lost their bargaining chip and they'll let everyone else go."

"Well then." Her old friend smiled painfully. "I'd better go so you can get a good night of sleep."

The silence in the cottage the next morning over breakfast hurt Rose's heart. She'd thought… she'd hoped… but apparently her mum just couldn't let her go.

She was at the door when Jackie finally spoke. "You're doing the right thing, sweetheart."

"What?"

"You're doing the right thing. When you have children of your own, you'll understand why I wanted you to stay where it's safe, but…" She sighed. "I'm proud of you. And you'll make a great queen."

Rose stared at her for a moment, then threw herself into her mother's arms. "I promise I'll be careful," she whispered. "I'll get through and then we'll find a way to get rid of this stupid hedge and I'll see you again. I promise."

Her mum stroked her hair, then pushed her back. "You'd better," she said fiercely. "I don't mind my daughter going off to be queen, but I won't have her die in some thorny bramble."

The Tyler women laughed weakly, and then Rose said, "It's time for me to go."

"Let me come with you and help you put that suit on. All that leather, it don't look half complicated."

Even with her mum's help, it took a good thirty minutes to get Rose suited up. Outside, a crowd had gathered near the hedge along the road, ready to see Rose off. She raised her long knife in an awkward salute, and then turned to the thorns.

A cheer went up from the villagers when she made the first slice. Rose smiled grimly and continued to work, and gradually, the noise of the crowd died down.

She chanced a glance behind her when that happened and was surprised to realise she was completely surrounded by thorns. And it wasn't just the people she couldn't hear: there were no birds, no sounds of the wind rustling through the leaves, nothing. The smallest hint of light filtered down from above, but outside of that, she was in a complete void, separate from all reality except for what surrounded her.

Sweat dripped into her eyes, but the helmet and gloves kept her from wiping it away. She blinked furiously, and the stinging sensation eased a bit.

Like light and sound, time as she had known it ceased to exist. Instead, it was measured in her growing hunger, in the ache building between her shoulders, in the awareness that the thorns were slowly creeping up behind her.

Finally, finally, she saw a hint of light ahead. The pinprick became a small opening, and the sight revived her flagging strength. Adjusting her grip on the handle of her knife, she cut the canes away with a vigour she thought she'd lost.

When she'd cleared enough of a hole to see the castle, she nearly cried in joy. She'd almost made it—she would make it. Hope and tiredness melded into a frenzy of motion, and in just ten minutes, she'd cleared a window large enough for her to duck through.

Rose wanted to dance with joy when she set foot on the firm ground of the road on the other side of the hedge, but something caught at her ankle. She cried out as she tripped, holding her hands out to ward off the ground rushing up to meet her.

Just before she hit the ground, she felt a prick on her ankle, and fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I promised a Sleeping Beauty allegory with a twist; here's the twist. In which the Doctor and Rose Tyler finally get their happily ever after.

 **Chapter 3: So Familiar A Gleam**

While Rose slept, she dreamt. And in her dreams, she returned to a world without zeppelins, a world that didn't have her mum or Mickey, but did have the Doctor.

The TARDIS was in her dreams too, filling her head and heart with the song she missed so much. As time passed, the song turned into memories, and gradually, the memories followed her into her waking hours. Rose remembered what she had seen as the Bad Wolf, when she'd held all of time and had known everything. She knew how to cross the Void.

The first part of her plan was simple: Torchwood had a vortex manipulator in its vaults, and no one batted an eye when Rose signed it out. But when she told the executive team—comprised of Pete, Mickey, and Jake—about the next step in her plan, she met with resistance.

The conference table in the Director's meeting room was the only thing separating Rose from the other members of the executive team, but as she looked at the three men whom she thought understood her best, that table felt like an enormous gulf between them.

Mickey rocked back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest. "The Doctor told you it was impossible."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "You said it yourself, Micks—it wouldn't be the first time he's been wrong." She held her breath when Mickey looked up at the ceiling, recognising the consideration on his face. Finally, he nodded, and Rose smiled at him.

"Hang on a minute you two," Jake protested. "Maybe crossing the Void is still possible somehow, but turning a vortex manipulator into a _Void_ manipulator? I know how vortex manipulators work. They leave you completely exposed to the vortex. You're talking about doing the same thing… but across the Void. Do you know what that might do to your body?"

"How is it any different from those hoppers you used?" Rose countered.

Pete finally spoke up. "The difference, Rose, is that the hoppers took us through two open doors. All the cracks between the worlds are closed, making what you're talking about either impossible, or extremely dangerous. You want to go into the Void without a guarantee you have a way out."

Rose shook her head. "The Void manipulator would open a stable portal in our world, transport me through the Void, and open a second portal on the other side." Pete just looked at her. "Can I at least explain it to a scientist?" she asked in a last-ditch attempt.

Her step-father—and boss—held her gaze for a long moment before nodding. "Talk to Dr. Taylor. If he think it will work, you have a go."

To everyone's surprise but Rose's, Dr. Taylor started babbling in animated excitement as soon as he saw the equations backing the plans for the Void manipulator. "Oh! This is brilliant! You'd create a wormhole through the Void, oscillating steadily at a rate of five Malcolms per second!"

The Tylers blinked, torn between amusement that he'd apparently named a unit of measurement after himself, and confusion over exactly what a Malcolm _was._ "That means the portal would only be large enough for a single person to step through. But the most brilliant part is this!" He pointed to another line in the equations. "Do you see this adjustment here? That means that as soon as the wormhole senses a traveller in transit, it will close the portal."

"So it wouldn't leave holes in the walls of the worlds?" Pete clarified.

"No sir!" Malcolm enthused.

Pete rocked back on his heels, then looked at Rose. "I'm giving this project the green light then. But you can explain to your mother that you're getting ready to leave."

It took three weeks of hard work and harder goodbyes, but finally, Rose and the Void manipulator were both ready. Her mum, Pete, Mickey, and Jake all joined her in the lever room to see her off.

"You're sure you want to do this, Rose?" her mum asked one more time.

Rose held back a sigh. "Mum, you've known from the moment we got here that I'd go back to him the first chance I got. You got your miracle," she nodded at Pete, "now it's my turn."

Pete cleared his throat. "Agent Tyler, as the director of Torchwood, it's my duty to tell you this mission is a one-way trip. We won't be holding the door open for you—we wouldn't even if we could." He shook his head and then pulled her into a hug. "As your dad, it's my privilege to tell you how proud I am of you."

"Thanks, Dad." Rose blinked back the tears that threatened; she'd shed her tears already.

Jake rocked back on his heels, then stepped forward to hug her. "I haven't got any special goodbye message, so… Good luck, Rose."

That left only one person. Mickey shook his head. "You know, when we first met the Doctor, I didn't want you to go with him. I thought, 'If she takes off with him, I'm never gonna see her again.' And I just want everyone to know, I was right."

"Yeah, well, it had to happen sometime," Rose teased.

He gave her a small smile before hugging her tight. "Be careful, Rose," he said, and everyone else echoed the sentiment.

"And tell himself that he better not hurt you, or I'll find a way to make him regret it—Void or no Void."

Jackie's pronouncement broke the sombre feeling in the air, and Rose drew a breath and turned around. She held the device in her hand and stared at the white wall in the lever room. That wall had separated her from the Doctor; it only seemed fitting that she should step through it to go back to him.

She pressed the button on her device, and the wall in front of her shimmered like it wasn't even there. "All right, I'm going," she said, taking a step toward the open portal.

The instant she stepped fully into the Void, Rose understood what the Doctor had meant about it being a place with nothing, not even time. The pressure of the vast emptiness crept into her mind, nearly driving her mad before it was forced out by a familiar golden song.

Rose closed her eyes and let the song lull her to sleep. This was safe; she knew it was. She would stay asleep until the song let her know it was safe to wake up.

DWDWDWDW

The Doctor leaned back in the jump seat with his legs propped up on the console while Donna looked at him sceptically. After meeting Agatha Christie, she'd wondered what other famous authors he'd met. She'd believed Dickens and Shakespeare, but somehow, when he'd told her Mary Shelley had once travelled with him, she'd balked.

"No, really!" he insisted. "I met her—"

Before he could finish the sentence, the time rotor started chugging up and down. They both looked at it in surprise for a moment, then the Doctor spun around to look at the monitor before flying around the console trying to adjust the controls.

"What's going on, Doctor?"

The navigation controls were stuck. "We're… we're in flight! But that… how is this possible?"

They landed with a soft thud. The Doctor checked the space time coordinates, but the planet was unfamiliar and the date was one on which nothing happened.

"What have you done?" he murmured, running his hands over the controls.

In answer, a voice in his mind said, _I always take you where you need to go._

The Doctor stared, wide-eyed, at the time rotor. The TARDIS had brought them here for a very specific purpose, it seemed.

The promise of an adventure put a bounce in his step when he turned back to his companion. "Well Donna, are you going to stand there, looking at the doors all day? Come on, there's a whole new world out there to explore."

Donna looked at him doubtfully, but she pushed the doors open. The Doctor grabbed his coat and followed her outside, walking right into a busy town square. He looked around and winced. If he could, he preferred to land someplace where he wouldn't be spotted, but the TARDIS' words kept repeating in his head. If she'd set them down in the centre of town, then this was where they needed to be.

He looked at the locals and realised that although they looked basically humanoid, none of them were more than four feet tall. Before he could introduce himself, the crowd parted and seven people surrounded the TARDIS in a semicircle.

The man with the longest beard said, "I am Knansu, the chief elder of Scora. These," he gestured to the other six, "are the rest of our ruling council. We must ask if you come in peace, or hostility."

"Oh, peace!" He waved at the locals. "This is Donna, and I'm the Doctor."

His name generated a flurry of excitement. "You're a doctor?" Knansu asked.

Normally, he corrected people when they heard his name as a title, but occasionally, he could tell people wanted a medical professional. Today was one of those days.

"I am."

"Have you come to look at the sleeping girl? Nothing we've done has woken her up."

The TARDIS hummed encouragingly, and he nodded. "Yes, right. The sleeping girl." The strangeness of the term caught his attention. "Hang on, don't you know her name?"

Knansu shook his head. "She is a stranger to us, found in the hills near the mines. That was a week ago, and we have been unable to wake her."

The Doctor nodded slowly, wondering what on Gallifrey his TARDIS could be up to. "I'll see what we can do. Maybe when she wakes up, she'll be able to tell us where home is."

"Thank you, Doctor." The chief elder pointed toward the street to their left. "Our infirmary is just around the corner."

"Lead the way."

As they followed the aliens, Donna stepped as close to him as possible. "Have you ever been here before?"

"Nope!"

"But they sound like they know you."

He shook his head. "They sound like they're desperate for a doctor."

"We truly are," one of the women said. "Our healers have done all they can, but we don't have the knowledge to help her any further."

"I'll do what I can," the Doctor promised as the group filed into a cosy building. He had to duck to get in through the door, and inside, his hair brushed against the ceiling.

"Nurse Aucura, this is the Doctor," Knansu said to the woman sitting just inside the door. "He arrived in town today and has agreed to examine our unidentified patient."

"Of course, Elder Knansu. Right this way, Doctor."

The nurse pushed open a door, and the Doctor's hearts stopped when he saw the woman lying in the bed. He knew that profile. _But it can't be,_ he told himself as he crossed the room. _She's trapped in Pete's World. She can't be here._

But she was. The Doctor traced her features with shaking fingers, taking in the slightly leaner frame that spoke of a lot of running and training.

Donna put a hand on his shoulder. "Doctor, is that…"

"Rose," he whispered. He registered then that even though she was here, she was in a coma—likely caused by whatever she'd used to cross the Void. He'd only let himself imagine what their reunion would be like a few times, but in all his dreams, she'd been awake and in his arms, not lying on a bed, unconscious.

He pulled his sonic screwdriver out and began doing basic scans. "Who found her?" he asked the elders. "Where was she?"

Knansu pointed to another man. "I will let Otam tell the story. He was the one who found her."

Another Scoran stepped forward. "I was walking into town to spend the evening with friends when I heard a cracking sound, like thunder. I looked over, and saw a flash of light in the sky. When I investigated, I found this woman lying on the ground. I brought her to the infirmary, and she's been here ever since."

The Doctor's hearts stopped; that flash of light sounded distinctly like a vortex manipulator. If she'd used one to cross the Void… Even when used as they were intended, vortex manipulators were only moderately safe; you were still traveling through the vortex without the benefit of a capsule. They definitely weren't meant to cross the Void. If she'd used one and it had malfunctioned or overheated in transit, her mind might be permanently damaged.

"Was anything found with her?" he asked, hoping they'd recovered the device she'd used.

Knansu nodded to the nurse, who disappeared and came back a moment later with a carefully folded pile of clothes, on top of which lay a vortex manipulator.

The Doctor set his jaw and forced his fears as far back in his mind as possible. Rose might be fine, but he wouldn't know until he got her to the TARDIS to run some more extensive tests.

He scooped her up in his arms and turned to the surprised elder. "I know this woman. She's my friend… I didn't think I'd ever see her again. Thank you for taking care of her for me."

Knansu blocked the doorway. "Where are you taking her?"

"I've got an infirmary on my ship," the Doctor said, adjusting his hold on Rose. "I can take better care of her there."

The chief elder crossed his arms over his chest. "How can I know you actually know her?"

The Doctor bit back a sigh of impatience; clearly, they weren't going to get out of here without providing some kind of information to the local authorities. "Donna, reach into the breast pocket of my jacket," he said. He kept a picture there of the two of them that Jackie had taken at Christmas.

She understood what to do, and handed it to Knansu. The elder's eyebrows rose when he looked at the picture. "Yes, I see. You seem to know her very well." He stood out of the way, and the Doctor walked through the door.

"Better than I know anyone else in the universe," the Doctor said, a hitch in his voice. "Donna, would you bring Rose's clothes?"

He had one goal in mind now: get Rose into the med bay so he could do some scans and see how much damage her trip had caused. His long legs covered the ground quickly, and both Donna and their hosts were jogging to keep up with him.

"Did you know she was here? Is that why you came?" Otam asked.

"I didn't." _But I think someone did,_ he added silently, and the TARDIS hummed happily.

Donna jogged ahead of him and unlocked the door.

"May I ask what her name is?" Knansu asked as they approached the town square.

"Rose. Rose Tyler," he answered. "And I can't…" He swallowed hard to get past the lump in his throat. "Thank you for keeping her safe."

He walked into the TARDIS without waiting for a reply. His ship had moved the med bay to the front of the corridor, and he carefully laid her down on a bed.

"Doctor, we're still here," Donna said behind him.

Pulling out his sonic, he adjusted the setting and pressed the button. "Emergency programme four," he explained to her. "Takes us into the vortex."

"All right. Do you need anything?"

"Not right now."

Her footsteps disappeared down the corridor, and the Doctor looked at Rose. He knew there were tests he needed to run, but he couldn't bring himself to look away from her, certain that if he turned his back, she'd disappear. The TARDIS hummed reassuringly, and the Doctor drew a deep shuddering breath and went to get the diagnostic scanner.

An hour later, he was sitting by the bed, utterly confused. There was absolutely nothing physically wrong with Rose. In fact, she seemed to be in better health than she'd ever been—something he intended to explore when she woke up.

Most puzzling were the results of her brain scan. He'd hoped for the reduced brain metabolism and dysrhythmic brain waves of a coma patient and feared he would find almost no activity at all. But instead, it was as if she were simply… sleeping, as if he could just walk into her dreams.

The Doctor's hand twitched at his side as he fought against that temptation, and it was only Donna's arrival that stopped him from looking into her mind uninvited.

"How is she?"

He slouched back in his chair. "Apparently, absolutely fine—just asleep."

"You mean in a coma."

The Doctor flinched against the sympathy in Donna's eyes. Clearly, she thought he was in denial of the seriousness of the situation.

"No." He pointed to the monitor where her scans were still pulled up. "According to that, she's simply asleep."

Donna looked at Rose, then the monitor, and then finally the Doctor. "But they said she'd been there for a week."

"I know."

"Humans don't sleep for a week."

"I know, Donna!" He shoved his hands through his hair. "But that's what all the scans say. Her vitals are strong, even though she was unconscious without an IV for a week. And her brain scans don't resemble those of a coma patient. She's just asleep, and dreaming apparently."

Donna stepped farther into the room and looked down at Rose. "Well, that's good, isn't it?"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "If nothing's wrong, I don't know what I need to do to wake her up."

Donna pressed her lips together. "Ah."

"Exactly." He pressed the heel of his hand to his forehead. "I can see her with my eyes and hold her in my arms, but I still can't talk to her, can't feel her hand take mine."

The room was silent, save for his harsh breathing as he tried to keep himself together. He almost jumped out of his skin when Donna rested her hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Spaceman." Her eyes narrowed, and a furrow appeared on her brow. "You said she's dreaming?"

"As far as I can tell."

Donna nodded. "Well, you're telepathic, right? Couldn't you look at her dream, see if it maybe explains why she's asleep?"

The Doctor gritted his teeth and glared at Donna. "Going into another mind without permission is a huge violation."

Donna snorted. "But these aren't exactly normal circumstances, are they? You've tried every other way, and you don't know how to wake her up." The Doctor didn't answer. "Look, I get that it's not normally allowed. I'm glad to hear it actually—there should be rules for telepathy. But the way you talk about her… she loves you, doesn't she?"

The Doctor clenched his eyes shut. He could still hear the sob in her voice when she'd told him she loved him. "She said she did."

Donna shrugged. "Well, love is trust. If she trusted you enough to tell you she loved you, I bet she would trust you enough to only look for what you need to wake her up."

He turned back to look at Rose, trying to find a flaw in Donna's logic, but he couldn't.

His uncertainty finally drew an impatient sigh from Donna. "I'm going to the galley to make dinner. Come talk to me after… if you decide to do it." He nodded, and he heard her walk to the door, then paused. "One more thought."

He turned around, and when Donna could tell she had his attention, she continued.

"Whatever she did to make her way back here, I don't think she did it so she could sleep the rest of her life away in the infirmary."

The Doctor was left wondering if Donna was right, if Rose would forgive him. It wasn't just the rules holding him back; he'd never forgotten her reaction when she'd found out the TARDIS was in her head without her knowledge. After that, he'd been careful to shield himself around her, though it became harder as their relationship grew.

In fact, fear of her reaction to his telepathy was one of the many things that had held him back from allowing their relationship to progress beyond a few memorable snogs. He doubted his shields would hold if they ever became intimate.

 _Love is trust._ Those words echoed in his mind as he stared down at Rose, and finally, they broke down his already weak resolve.

The Doctor sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her hair, letting the strands fall through his fingers. "Rose… I know how you feel about this, and I swear I wouldn't do it if it wasn't an emergency. Not without your permission. If you ever wanted… I mean we could…" He cleared his throat. "I just need you to tell me how to wake you up. Please, Rose."

When he pressed trembling fingers to her temples, he immediately detected formidable shields she hadn't had before. _This isn't going to work,_ he told himself, but he closed his eyes and pushed his mind against hers anyway. To his surprise, her shields gave way without any great effort, and he slipped into her mind.

 _Oh, Rose._ He didn't know how she'd learned to erect such strong mental barriers or when she'd done so, but she'd keyed him in as safe—someone always allowed into her mind.

The Doctor reined in the emotions that realisation sparked. They could discuss her possible openness to telepathy later; right now, he needed to find a way to bring her back.

Rose's mental signature was the same pink and gold he remembered from when he'd gone into her mind to repress her memories of Bad Wolf. Memories popped up as he moved through her mental landscape, but he ignored them and focused on the pink glow around him. The glow brightened as he walked, and he trusted that meant he was going in the right direction.

He found Rose in a room decorated in rich hues of red, pink and gold, lying on a wooden bed—carved with the Seal of Rassilon, he noted with raised eyebrows. Dressed in a simple pink and yellow dress with long, flowing sleeves, she slept peacefully with her arms loosely crossed over her stomach and her lips parted as she drew a breath.

She was so beautiful, it almost hurt to look at her.

The Doctor stood rooted to his spot in the doorway, taking in every detail of the room. Donna had thought understanding the dream might be the key to waking Rose up, and he didn't want to miss an important clue because he couldn't tear his eyes away from Rose.

Climbing roses trailed around the head of the bed and up the wall on the opposite side of the room. Candles and a large rose window cast a warm glow on the room, and especially Rose. The room was designed to reflect who Rose was, and to draw attention to her sleeping form.

He walked slowly around the bed, running his fingers lightly over her as he moved toward the head of the bed. He knelt by her side and embraced her loosely, with one arm wrapping around her waist and the other going under her head.

 _You're so beautiful, Rose, exactly like a princess. We could go to a ball and you could wear this dress—I bet the TARDIS would give it to you. But first, you have to tell me how to wake you up._

The Doctor's voice broke on the last word, and his Adam's apple bobbed several times as he tried to swallow back tears. _I need you to come back to me, Rose,_ he told her finally. _I need you here with me in the TARDIS. I need your hand in mine._

He sat back on his haunches and took her left hand in his. _And I need you to come back so I can finish that sentence,_ he added. _I could tell you now, but I'm not going to say it for the first time when you're unconscious. You'd accuse me of cheating if I did… and you'd be right._

He held his breath, hoping the plea would reach her, but the dream Rose didn't wake up. The Doctor stood up and gently placed her arm on the bed beside her, then he turned and walked out of the room.

Back in the med bay, the Doctor removed his fingers from her temples. He blinked a few times when he looked down at the real Rose, dressed in a simple hospital gown instead of a fancy dress. But like the dream Rose, she was still asleep.

He rubbed at the back of his neck, suddenly exhausted. He hadn't actually planned to obey Donna's command that he join her for supper, but he needed food, he needed rest, and he needed an outside opinion.

"I thought I was going to have to drag you in here kicking and screaming," she said when he entered the galley.

He accepted the plate she handed him and sat down at the table. "I need advice," he told her without preamble. "Rose's dream was… confusing. You said it might be a clue on how to wake her up, but I don't know what she's trying to say."

Donna sat down across from him. "What was the dream then?"

The Doctor explained it to her quickly, and to his surprise, Donna rolled her eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"You big space dunce! She's dreaming she's Sleeping Beauty. How does the prince wake her up?"

The Doctor's lips silently formed the word, _Oh_. "But why would she need me to kiss her to wake up? That's… are you sure?" It wasn't that he didn't _want_ to kiss Rose—he loved kissing Rose—but he really preferred it when she was conscious.

"I don't know, and of course I'm not sure. But it makes more sense than anything else you've come up with—oh!" Donna's mouth dropped open in mock surprise. "Because you haven't come up with anything! So eat your dinner, clean your teeth, and go kiss Rose."

"Time Lords don't need to clean our teeth," the Doctor said. "Natural enzymes in our saliva break down all odour and cavity causing bacteria."

Donna just raised an eyebrow and the Doctor looked down at his plate.

"Right. Eating."

The Doctor was not at all sure Donna's idea would work. True Love's Kiss didn't actually have any special powers, at least not ones that would magically awaken a sleeping princess. But, he had to admit she might be on to something, and he certainly didn't have any other ideas.

He knelt beside Rose just as he had in her dream, holding her head gently in his right hand. A soft sigh escaped her lips, and he blinked back tears. This had to work. He licked his dry lips and cupped her cheek in his hand. "Come back to me," he whispered, then pressed his lips to hers.

A second went by, then two. He thought he felt her lips move against his, but he clenched the hand that was resting on her waist. That wasn't possible. He adjusted the angle of the kiss and allowed himself to suck her upper lip between his.

Rose's lips parted and her tongue flicked out to lick his bottom lip. The Doctor held perfectly still, unable to believe what he was feeling. But when he felt her hand raking through his hair, he knew it was real. He released her lip with a gentle pop and looked down at her with wide eyes.

"Hello," she said softly.

"You're… what… how are you…?"

The Doctor watched Rose push herself up into a sitting position, still unable to believe she was here, and awake, and—most incredible—that he could still taste her on his lips.

Rose scooted over and patted the side of the bed. "Sit with me?" There were things they needed to talk about, but more than anything, she just needed to feel him as close as he could possibly be.

The Doctor took off his jacket and stretched out beside her with his back against the wall. As soon as he was situated, Rose took his hand and laced her fingers through his.

"I missed so many things, but I think I missed holding your hand the most."

"You came back," he said.

Rose giggled and nudged him with her shoulder. "Stating the obvious, Doctor?"

He sighed and rubbed his thumb over her pulse point. "I mean… you left behind your family and friends, to come back here."

 _Not this again._ Rose turned so she could look him in the eye. "How many times do I hafta tell you, I'm never gonna leave you."

The storm in his eyes wasn't the one that could scare entire armies away, but it was just as powerful. Rose knew she'd probably spend the rest of her life convincing him she didn't regret leaving her family, but if that meant she spent the rest of her life with him, she didn't mind.

"You turned a vortex manipulator into a Void manipulator," he said after several moments of silence.

Rose followed the change of subject easily. "Yeah."

"That's so… how did you know it would work?"

She bit her lip and looked down at their joined hands. She'd anticipated this question, but she didn't know how he'd take the answer. "I dreamt it," she mumbled.

"You dreamt it."

She quickly sketched out her dreams for him, explaining how it had all started with the TARDIS' song. "I heard the song again when I used the Void manipulator," she said. "I thought I was gonna go mad, surrounded by all that nothing, but then the song came and it put me to sleep. I dreamed…"

She stopped quickly, blushing.

"What did you dream?"

"Our life, but like a fairytale," she said, not willing to tell him the dream version of him had asked her to marry him when the real him still hadn't finished that sentence.

"And that's why your mind thought you were Sleeping Beauty when I found you," the Doctor said in awe. "The dream had protected you, but it couldn't let you go."

"I guess." Rose paused, then said, "Doctor… the dreams. Where do you think they came from?"

"I think you know the answer to that, Rose."

 _Bad Wolf._

The words hung in the air, but neither of them said them aloud.

"That does explain a few things though," he continued after a moment. "Your health, for one. Even just a week in a coma without proper care should have had some results, but instead, you're in better health than you've ever been before. And the mental barriers you had… I suspect we'll find a few more changes in you, if you'll let me run some tests later."

Rose looked at him, her eyebrows raised. "Later? I never thought I'd see the day when you were willing to wait to have your curiosity satisfied."

He didn't laugh at her joke. Instead, he lifted his hands to her face and cupped her jaw delicately.

"There's something else I've been waiting to do for a long time."

Rose's breath caught; was he finally going to say it?

"Rose Tyler… I love you."

Tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked them back. "I love you too, Doctor," she said.

He stroked her cheek with his left hand, then moved it to the back of her neck. Rose's eyes fluttered closed as she waited for a kiss from her Doctor, but when seconds passed without his lips on hers, she looked up at him.

"How long are you going to stay with me?" he breathed against her lips.

Rose closed the gap between them with a soft kiss. "Forever."

"Really?"

His fear broke her heart, and she searched for a way to reassure him, laughing a little when she found the perfect answer.

"Oh Doctor, don't you remember how fairytales end?"

 _And they all lived happily ever after._

 _But if I know you,_

 _I know what you'll do—_

 _You'll love me at once,_

 _The way you did once_

 _Upon a dream._


End file.
